round bales

Matt S Illinois · Jul 11, 2012

I know this is a tractor discusion forum so I use a tractor to feed round bales.
My question is I live in central Illinois and have some cattle. What is a common number for round bales to have to get me through the winter months without quessing so much? So what I am looking for would be like 3-1200lbs round bales per cow for the winter?
Thanks in advance
Matt

Fordfarmer · Jul 11, 2012

That doesn't sound like enough, but there are variables... Adult cattle? Any other feed (grain, silage), or just hay? How long is 'through the winter'?
I think I'd want at -least- 1 bale per cow per month that I didn't have pasture or green chop available... That's going by what my cows eat, not counting the corn silage, dry hay (small squares) and grain they get in the barn, so you may need significantly more.

Anonymous-0 · Jul 11, 2012

It's just monkey math til you do it enough to be experienced I guess but this is a quick google result that matches close to what we figure for the horses... (2.5-3 pounds per 100 pounds body weight)....

http://www.lsuagcenter.com/en/crops...+the+nutritional+needs+of+cattle+with+hay.htm

wingnut13 · Jul 11, 2012

The trouble with the round bales is your poor cow cant get a square meal.. Sorry couldn't help it. The bale a cow a month is a good base line but there are alot of variables as a general rule with hay its better to have too much and sell some in January instead of trying to find it in the middle of winter good luck.

Anonymous-0 · Jul 11, 2012

(quoted from post at 06:37:21 07/11/12)
its better to have too much and sell some in January instead of trying to find it in the middle of winter good luck.

Say that about 20 times real loud........
Better to have and not need than need and not have.....

jbp · Jul 11, 2012

You may have gotten by with only three per cow last winter, but not a normal winter. I didn't feel confortable unless I had 5 bales per cow of your size bales, and I live in Ky. I did background their calves, but on a fairly high grain ration like 8 to 12 pounds of 12% ration a day. Joe

rrlund · Jul 11, 2012

It takes me about 800 4x5s to get 75 cows through about 200 days. So that figures out to about 10.66666 per head.

tjdub · Jul 11, 2012

My bales are 5.5ft x 5.5ft. My general rule-of-thumb is: 1 bale per 35 head per day. A lot depends on the size of the cattle and the quality of the hay though.

The biggest question this year is when will we start feeding. Normally, I can keep my cattle grazing on stockpiled pastures/fields all the way to December. If we don't start getting rain, I'll be feeding by September (or even sooner).

M Nut · Jul 11, 2012

I always figure 10 1,000lb bales per cow, and that will get me through feeding hay from Oct. 15th to May 15th in MN.

Eldo case · Jul 11, 2012

Don't forget one man's hay is another man's straw. It would depend on the quality of hay fed. If only half or less good feed makes for a larger amount needed.

round bales

Matt S Illinois

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Fordfarmer

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Anonymous-0

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wingnut13

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Anonymous-0

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jbp

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rrlund

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tjdub

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M Nut

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Eldo case

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